Which act banned discrimination in housing based on race, religion, national origin, or sex?

• A. Civil Rights Act of 1968
• B. Fair Housing Act
• C. Housing Equality Act
• D. Civil Rights Act of 1964

Answer: (A)

This question tests knowledge of the federal law that directly protects people from housing discrimination. The act that bans discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, or sex is the Fair Housing Act. It was enacted in 1968 as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act and forbids refusing to sell or rent housing, applying different terms, or making housing loans based on protected characteristics. Over time, it also came to cover protections for national origin, and later added disability and familial status to the list of protected categories. The context is that during the Civil Rights Movement, activists pressed for equal access to housing, leading to this targeted protection and its enforcement powers through HUD and federal courts. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 deals with other civil rights issues like voting, public accommodations, and employment rather than housing specifically, and a nonstandard “Housing Equality Act” isn’t a recognized major federal statute. So the direct answer is the Fair Housing Act, which is the housing portion enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.